Uniqlo’s ‘made for all’ style makes its way to Fifth Ave

NEW YORK — Uniqlo’s NYC flagship may at first seem out of place amongst its Fifth Avenue neighbors, including luxury brands Tiffany & Co., Bergdorf Goodman, Louis Vuitton and Prada, but the location signifies the brand’s “made for all” mantra and its appeal to customers of all income levels.

“We don’t sell a lifestyle, we sell component wear,” explained Yasunobu Kyogoku, group SVP, COO Uniqlo USA, during a special store preview tour. “There are no logos (on our items), so they can mix with other brands easily. We sell the highest quality (products) at accessible prices.”

The NYC flagship, opening on Oct. 14 after a special preview event on Oct. 13, occupies 89,000 sq. ft. and will be the largest single retailer on Fifth Avenue and the company’s biggest store worldwide.

Upon entering the three-story NYC flagship, customers will immediately notice the store’s cathedral ceilings and escalators that carry shoppers up to the main selling area of the store. In addition, the ground floor will house monthly promotional items, which for October is cashmere for a special price of $49.90.

Stepping off the escalator to the third floor, shoppers will be greeted by a glass case housing select styles that is designed to be a focal point of the store. Other focal points play off of the New York City theme including a tunnel section with ticker tape and large wall-unit LED screen showing footage of the city.Another example of Uniqlo embracing its neighbors is its partnership with the nearby Museum of Modern Art for a special UT collection.

In order to attract shoppers into stores, and perhaps away from H&M, which has a space not too far away on Lexington Ave, Uniqlo is offering special promotions through October. Items include men’s and women’s premium down ultra light jackets for $59.90 (regularly $79.90) and men’s and women’s heattech long sleeve t-shirts for $12.90 (regularly $19.90). The Fifth Avenue store will also be the only retailer to feature denim for $9.90, a special price to give customers a preview of Uniqlo’s products, according to Kyogoku.

With the opening of the flagship store, its 34th street store on Oct. 21, Uniqlo will have three locations in the United States (The company already operates a store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood.) However, despite its small presence, Uniqlo has big plans for growth in the United States, and, according to Kyoguku, is looking to be a $10 billion U.S. retailer by 2020.

As far as its newest flagship is concerned, Kyoguku wouldn’t provide an exact number but said, “I think it will be one of our best performing stores worldwide.”